8 Tricks to Keep Your Face From Looking Oily All Day

It can happen to the best of us. You painstakingly apply your full face of makeup in the morning, but within minutes of walking out the door your face is full of shine – and not the good kind. We are talking about that oily, unwanted look that happens as the day goes on, targeting your T-Zone, corner of the nose, and ugh – even your chin. Your pores naturally release oils that keep your skin from drying out, but when they mix with your makeup you can end up with a shiny mess.

To help your skin look fresh and shine-free all day long, we’ve got some of our best tips to keep you oil-free and ready to tackle that Instagram that may come your way!

1. Cleansers: Be sure to check to make sure you’re properly cleansing your face in the morning. If you don’t have a cleanser with at least 2% salicylic acid and you’ve got oily skin, you should look into switching to one. Salicylic acid will break down the oil your skin produces without over-drying your face. Also, wash your hands before you wash your face to avoid putting oils from your fingers onto your skin.

2. Rubbing Alcohol: Add a very, very small amount of rubbing alcohol to a cotton swab and swipe it over your T-Zone (forehead, nose and chin). This will help to take the shine away, but use this sparingly to avoid drying out your face too much.

3. Mattifying primer: Use a matte face primer before applying foundation (or on its own to keep shine at bay), resulting in much less shine throughout the day. It’ll instantly absorb excess oil and give your skin a smooth, velvety finish.

4. Be mindful of what you eat: Skip the cocktails and spicy food. They dilate blood vessels and cause you to sweat. Limit yourself to one drink a night (or only one night of drinks a week), and eat spicy foods no more than once a week. Also consider loading up instead on carrots, cantaloupe and spinach. Foods like these that are high in vitamin A can actually slow oil production. Of course, also stay away from greasy foods as much as possible.

5. Foundation: When choosing foundation be sure to pick one that is oil-free or opt for a mineral powder foundation, which absorbs excess oil like a sponge. Mattifying foundation also works wonders.

6. Experiment With Face Masks: Exfoliation and following up with a mask at night is key to great, oil-free skin. Make sure you are exfoliating once or twice a week and if that isn’t enough for you, try a peel with glycolic acid to get the job done.

7. Pull Back On Creams: Don’t go so heavy on night cream each night. Instead, try and switch to a light lotion that your skin will absorb. You can also try out a nice hydrating serum to illuminate your skin without shine.

8. Blot Away: Blotting papers are your best friend throughout the day. The second you see some oil peering through, whip out the papers and blot away.